COURSE CURRICULUM

In the first year of the BA Art History and English Literature course, you are introduced to the rich intersection of visual and literary cultures, grounding your studies in both disciplines. The year begins with a direct engagement with artworks through the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, where you’ll explore global collections and learn to critically assess diverse forms of art. Parallel to this, you delve into literature’s historical context through modules like Reading Literature in History, learning how texts both shape and are shaped by their times. Art history is introduced not just as a record of visual culture, but as a dynamic academic field with its own methods and interpretive frameworks, giving you the analytical tools to navigate different artistic traditions and theories. In the second semester, Portraiture and Identity allows you to examine the representation of the self and others, bridging visual culture with social, political, and psychological dimensions. Literature modules such as Writing Across Borders broaden your understanding of English as a global language, exploring how it evolved through colonialism and resistance, and how writers have reshaped it to articulate unique cultural identities. Alongside these, modules like Environment, Art and Culture push you to consider the deeper meanings behind the creation and reception of art, particularly in the context of space and cultural contact. Across both disciplines, critical thinking, close analysis, and contextual awareness are continually developed, ensuring a well-rounded academic foundation. This year sets the tone for the rest of the course, encouraging an interdisciplinary mindset and fostering a deeper appreciation of how art and literature intersect, influence each other, and continue to shape human understanding across time and place.